By now, you’ve learned that Chadwick Boseman transitioned after a four-year battle with cancer. I could not allow the impact of his transition on me to go without me sharing a few thoughts and feelings about it.
Like me, Chadwick was from the South—fully southern. And, from the many posts I’ve read from people that knew him well, he was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He gave us our beloved T’Challa in a way, and at a time, that no one else could have done it. But that was not the only hero he played. Through his work, Chadwick let us witness the quiet courage of Jackie Robinson, the flamboyant Blackness of James Brown, and the legal mastermind of Thurgood Marshall—all Black folks, who in their own ways sacrificed some of their innocent good for the well-being of others. It was not unlike Boseman himself (the tireless giving and sacrifice, I mean).
Now we know that since 2016, Boseman worked in spite of his illness to give of himself the images he knew we, his people, needed. He did not take any role that supported the most negative narratives of Blackness. All of the characters he purposely portrayed were dignified warriors that manifested their strength through love, commitment, and passion. He embodied the unique swagger of each character through a cultural understanding that gave the characters depth and relatability that we now understand was all Boseman.
In his Howard commencement address (video here), Boseman reminded all of us of the power of purpose. We each carry a work inside of us that we are beautifully designed to complete. Chadwick showed us what it looks like to walk our path in spite of….
Pain…
Loss…
Illness…
Pandemics…
Brutality…
Self Doubt…
Fear…
And because he did so, he will be remembered forever. Let us memorialize him by walking boldly into our own Forever.
Always true,
Dr. Tip
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